Module 1—Motion
Reflect and Connect
Recall the questions about displacement, velocity, and acceleration in Get Focused at the beginning of this lesson. If two Smart cars depart from the same location at the same time and travel different routes to the same final destination and arrive at the same time, prepare to explain why the following statements are true. Then submit your answers to your teacher for marking.
Try This
TR 2.The cars have travelled different distances but have the same displacement.
TR 3. The average velocity of each car is identical even though they travelled at different speeds.
TR 4. When the brakes on the cars were used, the acceleration was not necessarily negative.
TR 5. The steering wheel on each car was used to change the velocity of the car without changing the speed.
Discuss
The Smart car was designed with extensive safety features to accommodate large accelerations that can occur during a collision. Safety features include the following:
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a very rigid tridion safety cell to shield and protect the driver and passenger
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emergency tensioning devices (ETD) to tighten seat belts
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airbags
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antilock brakes
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a deformable steering column
Use the Internet as a research tool to find out how each of these safety systems is designed to function in the event of a collision. Try search words such as “Smart car tridion,” “Smart car crash test,” and “Smart car emergency tensioning devices.”
One of the safety systems listed does not decrease the acceleration experienced by the driver in a collision. Which safety feature is it? Why is it designed to work this way? Place your findings in the discussion area.
Reflect on the Big Picture
In this lesson you expanded your knowledge about acceleration, velocity, and displacement. You are better able to describe an object in motion and understand how its motion is changing. You have seen another non-intuitive idea about velocity—it can be changing rapidly even if you are travelling at a constant speed. Have you thought about how these ideas are extensions of the ideas from Lesson 1?
To help you reflect on your learning experience in this lesson, complete at least one of these activities:
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Create a mind map that includes the concepts developed in this lesson and those from Lesson 1.
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Create a set of study questions that would help a new learner master the concepts from this lesson.
Store your completed reflection in your Physics 20 course folder.
Going Beyond
TR 6. Complete "1-2 Decision-Making Analysis: Traffic Safety Is Everyone’s Business” on pages 12 and 13 of your textbook. If you don’t have access to www.pearsoned.ca/school/physicssource, begin with a web search using key words such as “tachograph” and “road safety.”
Module 1: Lesson 2 Assignment
Remember to submit the Module 1: Lesson 2 Assignment to your teacher. Add to the KWL chart you started in Lesson 1. Continue to store your chart in your Physics 20 course folder.